Taylor Black

New York University, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

Taylor Black’s research probes the tension between performance and authenticity in digital culture, focusing on how social media platforms both enable and constrain identity. Her most cited work, “Just a Robot Keeping It Real” (2020, 8 citations), examines the paradox of online selfhood—where infinite possibilities for fiction and play clash with platforms’ demands for a unified, quantifiable profile. Black extends this analysis in a 2019 study (4 citations) on Lil Miquela, the virtual influencer, revealing how AI-generated personas exploit Instagram’s architecture to perform authenticity, blurring lines between human and machine. Her contributions illuminate the mechanics of digital identity, showing how users and bots alike navigate platform constraints to craft believable selves. While her citation counts reflect an emerging career, Black’s work is notable for its timely critique of authenticity as a performance demanded by social media, offering a sharp lens on the contradictions of networked life. Her research is essential for students exploring identity, AI, and the politics of online representation.